STAND. COM. REP. NO. 913

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 133
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Economic Development, to which was
referred H.B. No. 133 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO FUND THE SMALL
     BUSINESS DEFENDER POSITION AND OTHER SUPPORT PERSONNEL
     ESTABLISHED UNDER ACT 168, SESSION LAWS OF HAWAII 1998,"

begs leave to report as follows:
     
     The purpose of this measure is to provide funds for the
small business defender and support personnel established in Act
168, Session Laws of Hawaii (SLH) 1998, the Small Business
Regulatory Flexibility Act.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure
from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and
Tourism, NFIB Hawaii, The Hawaii Business League, and Charley's
Taxi.

     Your Committee finds that Act 168, SLH 1998, established the
small business defender to represent, defend, and provide legal
representation to any small business during adjudicatory or
contested proceedings involving civil citations issued by a state
or county agency in which the small business is a party, as long
as the fines or penalties do not exceed $25,000.

     Your Committee is supportive of the services that the small
business defender would provide for small business as an
important and vital component in the success of Act 168, SLH
1998.

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 913
                                   Page 2



     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Economic Development that is attached to this
report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose
of H.B. No. 133 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Economic
                                   Development,



                                   ______________________________
                                   LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

 
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